Oscar Trial: Steenkamp Was Lying Down When Shot In The Head

Pretoria – Pathologist Gert Saayman on Tuesday told the court that slain model Reeva Steenkamp, was lying down when she was shot in the head, because the bullet entered from above, according to the Oscar Pistorius Trial Channel.

Saayman also gave evidence that Steenkamp could definitely have screamed after she was shot in the hip and arm.

Saayman said the moment someone sustains a serious injury, there is a stressor reaction in the body in the form of adrenaline and other hormones. He said it is quite possible Steenkamp screamed to express her terror, in fact, he said it would be abnormal not to have screamed after the injuries she sustained.

The pathologist said screaming is not part of a person’s cognitive function, the part of the brain responsible for thinking, reasoning, and analysing.

Saayman also told the court that if Steenkamp had used the toilet shortly before her death, or an hour before, her bladder would have been virtually empty. Saayman earlier said Steenkamp had a small amount of urine in her bladder.

Court has adjourned for tea and the live broadcast is expected to resume after the break.

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